Tactical naval tracer.



F. SPALAZZI.

TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER, APPLIOATIONTILED JUNE 17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

11 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I F. SPALAZZI. vTAGTIGAL NAVAL TRACER. APPLICATION P ILED JUNE 17 1911.

Patented J an. 20, 19M.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 2.7

WITNEJSEI." m1 VE/VTOR v mamas a smmzz/ J ttofn 5 F. SPALAZZI.

TACTICAL NAVAL TRAGER APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911.

Patented Jan, 20, 1914 gull iSHEETS-SHEET 3. V

SPALAZZI GTIGAL NAVAL TRAQER. IGA'TION FILED mm 17,1911.

APPL

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

F. SPALAZZI. TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER.

mrrmcmmn FILED JUNE 1'), 1911.

m I Patented Jan. 2 1914.

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TACTICAL NAVAL TRACfiR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1911.

1,04,90'72, Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

11 SHEETSSHEET 6.

wwbwox: FRANCL SCO SPALAZZI Httornezj P. SPALAZZI.

TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911.

Patented Jan..20,;1914.

11 SHEETSSHEET 8.

-//YYNTOR." FKANEESCU SPALAZZI WITNESSES.

F. SPALAZZI. TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911. l,084;,9@7a Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

larva/HM: FRANCE-$60 .SPALAZZI I ".5 Sada-mull fittcrn y E. SPALAZZI. TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911.

1,08%,99'78 Patented Jan.20,1914

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TACTICAL NAVAL TRACER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1911,

Pabented J an. 2Q, 1914.

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EEaGTICAL MAYBE; TRACEEL specification of Letters Yetent'.

Application filed June 17, 1911. Serial :nb. 633,795.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCESCO SPALAZZI, lieutenant in the Italian Royal Navy,-a sub ject of the King of Italy, residingat Rome, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented certain new and useful improvements in tactical naval tracers viz apparatus for automatically and contemporaneously recording the courseof the ship on which it is mounted and of an eneinys ship -of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an apparatus which during the travel of the ship, on which it ism'punted, records automatically the course of came upon a drawing sheet, or, after a convenient scale having been chosen, even directly on a sea chart,-and at the same time on the seine shcetand at the same scale it records the'course of an enemys ship, the evolutions and positions of which are thus continuously registered and immediately made apparent. To perform thisflutytli'e recording apparatus, which can be mounted on any point'of :the ship and preferably in the conning tower on one side is connected with the shaft, or-theshafts, of the propel ling mechanism, which transmits the indi-' cation of the travel inade, on the other side with the compass'which transmits to it the indication of the true course and lastly with a rangefinde-r, which transmits to it the indication of the distance and of the course of the enemys ship watched As in the apparatus according to the present invention the way made is figured out from the number of the revolutions of the propellers, device's must be provided which, even when through varying of the speed the number of the revolutions corresponding to a given length of way is varied, cause the apparatus toindicate always the exact way made, whatever may be the speed of the ship, moreover as when starting or stopping or otherwise changing the speed; the inertia of the ship must be taken into consideration in order to get the true distance corresponding to a given numbers-of revolutions of the propeller, the apparatus is provided with various devices which allow a compensation of these irregularities. Moreover, as the orientation required is the true one, also the compass .is provided with devices for correcting the agnetic course oi the deviations produced by the iron on board, and for directly obt aining the true course.

' isa ten'ted 6 111.20, 1914:. f

Therefore, the whole apparatus consists of: (a) an indicating device of the way tion of the way made the errors dueto the action of the inertia during the variable motion of the ship; ((5) a device for automatically transmitting at a distance the angles, by whiclrdeviates the compass needle; (c) a reducing device for automatically varying by the compass for the purpose of correcting, the error produced by the iron ,on board; (7') a recording apparatus which produces the value of the angles transmitted I also the niovcn'ientof the drawing sheet; 1

{1) .a device Lor transmitting at. a distance the angles under which the enemys ship is watched and her distance; lastly, if the recording device on account of lack of space cannot be placed, in proximity of the com mander, who mustbe placed in position of constantly seeing the indications given .by it,- also suitable means for rendering easily vis ible the tracings and the other indications, which can be obtained by the apparatus, are to be provided. v

The recording of the ships course takes placein the following way: The drawing sheet, placed upon the desk of the recording device, by the writing roller, which traces the way made by the ship, and which is 'connected to the device for indicating the way, is caused to advance by lengths pro ortional to the distances actually made, an in such a way that the position of the writing roller always corresponds exactly to the position of the ship. The drawing sheet can rotate around the said point and ts rotation is pro duced by the device whicligtransmits the indications of the compass uly corrected of all the errors, so that the sheet always keeps the same orientation during the travel of, w the ship and the line representing the'course always advances on thesheet in the direction in which the ship is moving. Anarm turn' ing around an. axis passing at the point of contact of the writing roller carries a mov able block which runs along the said arm be turned toward the same.

i the desk surface and upon a disl; carried by the. sliding block, the following elements can be computed: angle under which the enemy observes the ship; course and .speed of the enemys ship; inclination of the armor plates of. the enemy to the-shots; lat eral displacement viz. relative speed projected on a plan normal to that of the shots; variation of the distance in a given interval of time; angle between the true directions ofthe two courses; true' course of the ship.

- Moreover through the graphic the distance aetween the twoships, the course of the own ship and the angle under which the enemys ship is seen can be ascertained.

Considering the difiiculty of ascertaining the movements which a ship performs at a distance at which nowadays the naval actions take place, and considering the special trim of the ships during the battle, and the i so difficulty met by an observer being on board a moving ship to perceivethe absolute motion, it will be easily understood that the elements obtained by means of said apparatus 'acilitate the task of a ship in the presence of hostile craft and even ofa squadron by watching the regulating ship, for the evolutions of the enemys ship can be established therewith, and on the ground of the indications obtained the evolutions of the own ship can be rectified and regulated.

The above mentioned apparatus is also of considerable help in maintaining tactic positions for tl'ieconcentration of the offense, for performing the evolutions in approach ing or moving away, whereby the enemy 1S always kept under the greatest ofi'ense, and

for-the complete development of the action. llloreover with the said apparatus important indications for directing the shots at a great distance are obtained, namely, as already stated, the lateral displacement and variation of the distance of the aim, and the inclinationot the armor plates on the direc- 'tion of the shots.

elements, as it is known, is to be taken into account during a tactic action.

lln the annexed drawings a complete apparatus of this kind mounted on board a. ship is shown by way of example.

Figure. 1 shows diagrammatially the electric connection of the recording device with the compass, the propeller shaft and the range-finding post. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the speed indicator connected to one of the propeller shafts. cal section of said device according to line X X of Fig. 2 and seen in the direction of the arrow on and comprising also the connections with the propeller shaft; Fig. 4 shows a vertical elevation of the section according to line y 7/ of the same device seen in the'direction of the arrow 6. Figs. 5 hnd 6 are a plan Viewv and a vertical elevation respectively of the desk with the recording apparatus. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of said device. Fig. 9 shows a diainetrical section of the compass, Fig. 10 shows diagrammatically the device for transmitting at a distance the orientation of the compass. Fig. 11 shows on enlarged. scale the compensating device for transforming the indications of the orientation of the compass in the indications of the true course. Figs. 12 and l3 are a plan Vie-9V and an elevation respectively of the sighting device placed at the range-finding post which indicates the angle formed with the axis of the ship by the direction of the enemys ship. Figs. 14 and 1-5 show some details of the switch of the motor connected with the telescope of the sighting device. Fig. 16 shows a disk carried by the sliding block of the recording device. Fig. 17 shows how the recording device is mounted in the conning tower of warship, so as to enable the commander to have before him its indications. Figs. 18 and 1.9 are a front elevation and a side elevation respectively of a simplified device for tracingthe course .of a ship watched.

The propeller shaft l Fig. 3, carries a toothed rim 2- which engages a wheel -3 loose on its axis (ton which is keyed a toothed wheel 5-. On this wheel travel two pawls.6- carried by the wheel which cause the wheel 5 and with it the shaft 4-, to revolve when the shaft of the screw turns in the forward d1 cction, but when the ship is running back .vard they slide without acting-upon the wheel a leaving thus immovable the shaft The shaft 4-, besides the toothed wheel 5, carries also an ordinary toothed wheel -7- which engages with the first toothed wheel 8-, Figs. 5-3 and 3, of the indicating device of the way 1nade. The wheel -8- engages with a wheel --9- keyed on a sleeve--10, which also carries a. cylindrical wheel -11- and a conical pinion. 12' and is loose on a shaft --2T-. The wheel -1l engages a second wheel --l3 carried by a shaft 1 l-- and provides with a projecting pin 15-. This pin -45- Fig. 3 shows a verti- I nsane? at each revolution of the wheel 13 strikes against a lever 16 rocking around an axis l7,- and causes the same to swing by a certain angle in the direction of the movement of the wheel, shown by the arrow a. By means of a loose sleeve mountedon the shaft 17-, to the lever --l6 is connected an arm -l8 which through the action of an antagonistic spring 20 acti11g on the lever -16-.-r ests against acam.

-19-. The position of the lever '16- is controlled by the cam 19- and it will be understood that the more the lever -l6- is displaced in the direction of the arrow a the smaller will be theangle of oscillation which it performs at the passage of the pin -15. Now the lever l6- carries a pawl 21- which slides on the range of teeth of a ratchet wheel 22-. The shaft l7, on which the toothed wheel22---v is mounted, carries a cylindrical wheel -23- which engages with a second cylindrical wheel .-2 l-- carried by a sleeve +25 which carries also a conical. pinion -The sleeve 25 is loose on the shaft"'27 which carries an arm -28- on which another conical pinion -29 is 'lodse, which can turn hetween the two pinions 12;and -'-26'. The diameters of the three pinions'12- 2629-are equal and, therefore, if to the wheel -2 l-' not impartedany movement and the pinion --2*5- hasbeen stopped, the coil 29 turns on'thc'said? wheel and at each complete revolution madeby the pinion 12 it causes the arm and with it the shaft 27to perform halfa revolution. Thus when the wheel;24 ti1rns in one or in the other direction, on the shaft -27? in one case the semi-difierenceand in the other case the semi sum ofthe two at tary motions is transmitted. pawl sliding on the wheel 22+ prevents the backward motion of same during" the return movementof the pawl 21- As already told, theangle by which the wheel -24'- advances, is controlled by the width of the oscillation of the lever ,-16--,-

viz. by the position of the cam 19.. Now the cam 19- is in turn controlled by a centrifugal governor accordingto the speed of the propeller shaft and in the drawing is shown byway of examplethe centrifugal governor hereinafter described. Inside a box '30 are located two horizontal rods -31 along which can. slide two heavy masses 32 which 'bymeans of spiral springs 33' wound around the rods 31 are pushed toward the center of the box. The masses 32' are stuck upon two inclined arms -'34 of a turning shaft *5- sliding-in vertical direction in a sleeve which carries a helical wheel -36'-, which engages with another helical wheel --87'-, mounted upon the shaft 14 When the speed increases, the masses 32 v40 connected with the cam l9.

tend to move away from the center thizs comdownward whereby the shaft 35 is lowcred. The shaft-35 at its lower portion carries a tooth rack which engages with a toothed wheel -3 meshing with a pinion In this way the positionof the cam -l9 varies when thespeed of the propeller shaft is varying and, therefore, at the varying of this speed varies also the speed of the coni-' calpinion -26. The aim of this device is the following: As it is known, the relation between the speed per hour '2; of a ship and the number of revolutions n of her screws is expressed bytne equation o izmi -pelling the inclined arms 3 to slide 7 distance made by the ship, is regulated the number of revolutions of the screws, it is clear that-in order to maintain the proportion between the displacement of the sheet ancl't-he distance really made, at the varying of the speed it is necessary to vary the ratio of transmission between the driving shaft and the device producing the advancement of the sheet. This duty is intrusted to the cam' --l9;-'- which regulates the stroke of thelever -16. In fact things need only be arranged in such a way that for acertain speed the lever -16- is not met by the pin -15; the shaft -27- moves then per-' forming a number of revolutions which is half that of the revolutions made by the Then when the speed is gradually increasing, the shaft 35-'slides downward, turns the cam l9- and puts into action the lever 'l6',' which causes the wheel 24 to revolve and produces the necessary correction in the ratio of transmission.

The interpolating device above described for correcting the ratio or transmission of the speed ofthe propeller shaft can also be usefully applied in other cases. If, for instance, the, distance is to be transmitted to the guns efa ship and it is the case of guns having a difi'erent caliber, whereby for a certain caliber a given sight according to the distance ascertained is employed, while in the case of guns of different caliber a corroot-ion depending upon the diiierence of their caliber is to be madeito the distance, it will be sufiicient to transmit from a central point the movement regulated according. to the distance which indicates the sight for a gun of a certain caliber, provided that the receiving apparatus of the distances for each gun he provided with av device like that described, having a sleeve -10 which re peats the number of revolutions of the central transmitting; device, and. a wheel Q4- which carries out a correction proportional to the number of revolutions performed by the sleeve ---l0 and which can be varied according to the caliber of the gun on which the transmitting device of the commands is regulated. In this way on the shaft 27- the corrected number of revolutions establishing the distance, which is to he used by each caliber, is obtained.

The shaft -=2T-- carries a toothed wheel ti F et, which engages with another toothed wheel ---1l-9*- connecteu with a small pinion i lwhich engages with a toothed rim 'l-l--- provided outside a box .t5-. In the said l la is located a. spiral spring tixod .h one end at. the periphery of the box and "with the other end at the pivot -ttl around which the box is turning. The pivot -+tt3- as well as the pivot which supports the wheel and the pinion --l 3 are fixed on one of the spokes (If a. fly-wheel zlj7, which has projecting blades and is carried by the shaft l8. It will be understood that when the spring inside the box -i5.- is not yet stretched, at the beginning of the revolution of the propeller shaft and while the ship by-her inertia resists to the impulse directed to accelerate her speed, the box 1 5- revolves rolling up the spring, so that the fly-wheel tT-- does not rotate by the same angle. As the movementof the fly-wheel is re tardcd by its inertia and through the resistancc, which meet the blades provided on its periphery (Fig. i) the spring, in order to be able to carry it has to stretch itself'and at the point which corresponds to the moment in which the ship has reached her nnitorn). speed, also the rotation of the hywheel .MZQOHICS-111llf0t1ll and synchroi'ious with the rotation of the shaft: 27. lnverscly, when the engine i stopped the iiy wheel keeps on moving farther to unwind the spring contained in the box i6-, indicating thus the exceeding distance niade by the ship through-her inertia.

(in the sleeve ---:l;S-- of the flywheel. -T-- is mounted a cam ---'=l 9 which at each revolution oi the fly-wheel rocks a lever ---50-, to which is hinged an arm hi which causes a lanttan-wl .cel -5&Z-

to revolve a tooth. A pawl --53-- prevents the :lantorn-whcel to turn lmcinvard when the arm ---51-- pertorins its backward stroke. The lanteri'i-whecl 5';2 is mounted on the shaft '5-t ot a switch seiu ling the current to the? motor, which "in the tracing device drives the sheet carrier for indicating the distance made.

' t. rotating switch for the transmission i oi oi the Ina/ink line.

drs'iwing by way of example are shown a switch and a motor of the class described in the British Patent. No. tlflii idOfi.

The switch. i. and 2, consists of an insulating linder *--55, on which is located a ring t'ori'ned by three insulating segments --Z t$-5t' 5t; f and three continuous rings -5'i"---5757 wl'iich communicate with the three segments of the first ring. The current arrives through two brushes +58 which according to the posi.' tion otthe eylindeare in contact with one or two of the segments 56 coinnnini ating thus with one or two of the rings -----57-'--. Against each ofthese rings slides a brush 59---59+59---, from which starts a wire -t? 0- 6t)-60"' lead ing to one of the windings --t" t-.6l-- (i1- of the armature of the motor 0?? Figs. 5 and (3, placed on the desk of the tracing device and-"which has an armature having the iron outside and three windings. The return takes place through the brushes G3 at 180 from the firstv and which are in contact with that .or withthose of the segincnts' of the ring, which are not in coni tact witlrthe brushes --58-.

The brushes 8- receive the current from awire -43- which ends at one of the conductors --(S5-- iif the nuiiiilii'ie and the return of the Cr rent from the brushes --t9'3- ta lItS place 1y ineans oi. anotljier Wire --titending the second conductor From the conductor 4 55 of theinain line starts also the wire tit$- whichleads the current to the windings -6t)-(39;"-- of the held of the same motor 32 The return is made through them ire ?O-- which ends at the conductor -t3T--. The wires 454F60 tSO- --t30"- t't(i---' end; at the terminals ---7l -'"2 72 Titprovided at the base otthe switch, Fig. 2.

On tilt shaft --'?5- of the motor --62-- an endless screw ---Zt3- w 7 worm-wheel --7 '4 connected with ---72- located ni'iderthc plane 73 table-oi? the tracing device a s a drum ot' the Against the drum [8- rests pressed elastically, a. writ ing rollr---S0- which takes the ink from an inking roller --S. fcarried together projects.

loo

fixederni -85 which extends .velopment of the periphery of the drum 78 when revolving. in this *way is obtainedthe forward motion of the sheet corresponding to 'tlije'distince made by the ship but it is necessary that the sheet keeps its orientation int-he space viz. that it deviates with respect-tether ship by equal angles and in opposite direction to those by which deviatesthe ship when changing her course.

' The device for automatically transmitting the direction of the course can work in connection with a compass of any kind and, therefore, it is to be understood that the compass shown in the drawing, Figs. 9 and 10, is only given by way of example.

The upper edge of the mortar +86 of 5 the compass}, carries a collar 87- of insulating materiahin which collar a deep an- .nular groove -88 is provided; platen tips or plates --89 passing-through the walls of the collar reach inside the same the surface of the channel 88, which is filled with a liquid having little conductivity, for instance water with somedrops ofsulfuric-acid. The platen plates or tips -S9, are located all .around at angular intefyals equal between each other and at a distance of a few degrees.

I wire --93.

In the center of the swimmer of the com-- pass a vertical axis is provided which supports an arm -91.. At its two ends the arm -'91 carries two tips 92 which dip into the annular groove -88- without touching the walls, and for this purpose, as it is shown in the drawing, the walls of the groove are formed by two zones of spherical concentric surfaces having their common center on the axis of the shaft .-90-,.and the tips -92-, instead or being straight, are curved as arcs struck from the center of the sphere, so that, even when oscillating in vertical direction, the two tips always maintain the same distance of the two walls. of the channel and their immersion is constant. The arm 9l is in. electrical communication with the shaft- T90- which receives the current through the The platen plates -89--- are electrically connected with the; coils of a relay motor -94- in the way shown inf Fig. 10 and in the scheme of Fig. 1; this motor has an armature with two ole-shoes. the windings -95-95" of w ich are in series with the windings -96-96"'-96- of the field. These windings are three and are connected to the plates -89 of the compass .by means of the three wires The whole numbers-f the plates must be a multiple of the double amount of the number of the windings, in the present case a multiple of 6, for instance 672;; in thisway, .the plates are divided in 3 groups oi Qnplates each, giving each plate a. re eesivennmber and iacine' in one of them are contemporaneously opposite the tips 92 carried by the arm -91.

Now it is clear that, if the plates'of the first group are connected to the wire -97- the plates of the second group to the wire -97, and the plates of the third group to the wire 97", by turning the arm .91, so that the tips depending from it and dipping into the liquid pass from one plate to the other, currents I of variable strength are produced in the two windings fed by the wires connected to the two couples of plates, between which are the tips --9Q-; the current in .a winding reaches the highest effect when the tips -92 place themselves opposite a couple of plates of the same group and diminishes little by little as soon as the tips start moving away and approach the couple of successive plates. .In this way when rotating the arm -9l the resultant of the flux between two successive windings rotates in the same direction causing the armature of the motor to rotate by an equal angle.

. The current, which is caused to circulate int-lie windings, is an alternating current, as otherwise'it would produce the electrolytic decomposition of the liquid contained in the groove 88- and would also cause the compass to deviate. If it is not possible to get alternating current the continuous current supplied in any way by the main line, with a suitable inverter can be transformed, for instance by adopting the arrangement shown in Fig. 10. Between'the two wires 6!'-67 of the main line is interposed in shunt a current inverter 99 which by means of two branches -10010lco=mmunicate with the two conductorsof the main line.

The inverter -99'is driven by a motor 102 which withtwo wires ---l /3--104%- is shunted between the wires -10llOO- from the inverter 90- and the wire -105 and which forms the return wire of the motor -94:. In the motor the current, which arrives from one or from two of the wires 979797v, after having circulated in one or two-of the windings 96--9696 of the field, through the wire -106 reaches the windings -'95-95, of the rotating armature. As the currents feeding'this motor are very weak, in order to diminish the resistance mercury contacts arranged as shown in Fig. 10 are made use of. A block -107- is 1'0- vided with two tanks 'lOS-l09 filled with mercury. The shaft- 110 of armature carries an insulating sleeve --1l1- having two metallic disks -112-113 which with their edge dip in the mercury of the two tanks -i09,slO8--. lhe terminal -ll h at which ends the wire 106, connnunicates with the mercury of the tank i0S- and therefore with the disk -ll2-- which by means t l 1e wire -116 sends the current to the windings of the armature. The current returns througl the wire -117-- which ends at the disk 113 and passing through the mercury of the tank --108-- arrives at the terminal "118 from which starts the return wire 105- l he motor -9 leis designed to simply move the mercury contact switch which is seen on its right hand side. This switch consists in a supporting block -119-- in which 'are provided four mercury tanks 120- l21-- l21--121""-- In the mercury of said tanks dip a disk -1:22- and tlilemetallic tips projecting from the periphery of other, three disks 12312S- 123- carried with the disk -122- by the shaft -110 of the armature. The metallic tips are three for each disk 'l28-'- a'uddistanced from each other 120, and every disk is rotated by 40 with respect to the next followingso that in the mercury either one tip of a disk or two tips belonging to two disks are always dipping, but there are no moments in which no contacts are produced. In order to diminish the sparks upon the mercury, a little layer of water inunitted; with this layer of water a more uniform movement is obtained, because the water acts as a gradual. resistance cut in before the current has been introduced in each one of the windings. The disk l22- having a whole edge dips constantly in the mercury of the tank 120- communicating with the terminal 124, at which ends the wire 125, which leads the current from the conductor of the main line. The disk 122 by means of a conductor -126 located within the shaft '1l0 is electrically connected to the oisks -l23123l23- and the mercury of the tanks corresponding to these three disks by means of the terminals --127-12'71'27 projecting in it communicates with the wires li 8- 128---128-- which end at three windings of the armature --l29'-129129"- of a motor l30, Fig. 6, similar to the motor 62- described hereinbefore, and which serves for repeating the angular movements of the compass. The windings -l3l-l3l"- are in series with the windings oi the armature and the return is made through the wire --l32-. The inotor 1i30--- located underneath the table of the tracing device and on the shaft 133- oi same, Fig, 6, is mounted, a

toothed pinion. -134-- which engages with a toothed wheel 135. The toothed wheel 135- engages with a second toothed wheel -136, the shaft of which carries a long grooved cylinder '-137- which, being' constantly in engagement with the segmei is of the toothed rim -139-- suitably at the surface of a disk --l39-, auses the latter to revolve with a speed depending upon the distance from the center ofthe toothed segment, with which it is engaged. The shaft of the disk -139- carries a wheel -140- which engages with wheel -1 .ll which by means of the toothed pinion 142- transmits the motion to a shaft which carries a deviating roller 1 l3--. This roller is exactly located un derneatli the plane 79- of the table and touches slightly the surface. of same so that it comes into contact with the drawing sheet which is.upon the plane of the table- The sheet by means of a pressing roller ---l -.l-lcarried by an arm -l4.-5 hinged to the bracket -83- projecting from the vertical shaft -8% is kept against the deviating roller.

-The axis of rotation of the deviating roller l l3- and of the pressing roller,

-l-l4- are perpendicular to the axis oi the carrying roller -77- and of the writing roller 80-. Besides that the pressure which the deviating roller -143- and the pressing roller -14-'l-' exert on the drawing sheet is so weak that it does not prevent the sheet from being drawn along by the can rying roller '78-. Therefore, it will be understood that when. the deviating roller --14-3 stops and the ship moves maintaining the same rhomb, the sheet is drawn along by the carrying roller --78- and the roller -80- traces a straight line. But when the ship changes her course, and it turns therefore the deviating roller --l l3, also thesheetturns, having the point of contact of the writing roller 80- as instantaneous center of rotation. transmission between the compass and the roller 1 43 is regulated in such a way that the developed length of the arc of the If the ratio of' periphery of the roller -14:3--, by which which the ship has rotated. However this angle must be the true angle corrected from the disturbing eitects of the iron on board. and to operate this compensation is intended the transmitting device with variable ratio formed by the disk 139 with the grooved drum l37.

In the surface of the disk l39 are -149, the common shaft ducedin the indications of the compass can bepractically negl ed and the said segments of toothed in are located in the grooves more or le .1. from the center, according as to wheth the ratio of transmission is to be more or less reduced. Things are preferably disposed in such a way that the middle groove corresponds tothe case 111 which no corrections are to be made in the indication of the compass. In this way is traced the course of the ship on which the apparatus is applied; the coursev of the enemys ship watched is obtained by means of the device shown in Figs. 12, 13, 1.4, 15 which. is placed at the telemetric post.

In Fig. 12-is shown in elevation mounted upon a pedestal. -1,4;6- the telescope -14.7- which serves to find out the direction of the enemys ship. The telescope is, carried by a turning collar i l-8 the rotation of which is obtained by turning two cranks 150 of which carries an endless screw -151- which, engaging with a worm wheel '152, causes shaft 153- to turn. Also the shaft 153- carries an endless screw -15 lwhich engages with a. worm wheel -155- fixed at the pedestal 14.(3-. The angle of .inclination of the telescope is regulated through a button 156 fixed at the bracket -157 which sustains the telescope; within this button passes a threaded stud l58 hinged with clip to the body of the telescope, As it will be" seen, the ratio of reduction of the movement of the cranks -149- to the wheel -155 is very great, in 'ordertobe able to establish with greatestexactness the angles of direction,

because the switch which sends the curl 'nt to the repeating motor of the angular deviations is directly acted upon by the cranks -14.9-. For the same purpose of securing greatest accur cy when establishing the angles of direction, instead of a motor with three windings, in this case a motor with five windings is made use of in order to avoid the increase of the number of revolutions of same, and for this reason the switch is formed by an insulating cylinder '--159 on which are disposed iive continuand a ring -162-,- divided in five segments against which resttwo brushes -163-16lat 180 fromeach other, and every continuous ring is in electric communication with one ofthe segments of the interrupted ring -162-. Therefore there are seven termh 'Figs; 14 and 15.

165-165'- are in communication with the brushes of the live continuous rings, and two, I66-167-, with the two brushes -1(33l6 l.

From the first five terminals -165 go to the terminals of the motor --l68, Figs. 5 and 6, five wires -l69169-169 169"T-169', atthe terminal -166 arrives the feeding wire l from the main line from which start two branches one -1'7lreaching the feeding brushes 163 and the other -172 carrying the current to the windings 173"173"- of the motor; to the terminal 167- goes the return wire -174 which joins the return wire .175 of the brush 164& and the return wire -'176- of the winding of the inductor." The motor l6S, with the exception of having five windings instead of three, is similar to the motors -62 and -l3().

The shaft 177-- of the motor 16S which is placed within the arm 85- carries at its upper end an endless screw -178 whichengages with a worm wheel 179'- mounted upon another shaft -1SO- which also runs within the arm 85-, and carries at its end another end less screw '1S1 which engages with a helical wheel 1S2- fixed on sleeve -183- mounted loose on the shaft 8 l--. This sleeve carries the a-iidade 1S-l, which therefore rotates together with the telescope 147 and keeps itself always parallel to it, if the ratio of transmission has been suitably chosen.

Here attention is to be called to a peculiarity of the switch connected to the tele scope 1l7-, which contributes to the regular working of the device. As it may happen'thatthe movements of the telescope PH- are very slou and that the brushes therefore pass very slowly from one to the other of the segments of the ring -1.62. at the said point a frequent sparking would be; produced, which must he avoided. For this purpose an automatic snap catch is provided, which rapidly operates the passage of the brushes through the separating lines. The particulars of this device are shown in The insulating cylinder 159 is niount-ed loose upon a, hollow shaft l85 which is also loose on the shaft "150 and at one end carries a radial arm -186-. The insulating cylinder '-159- carries a collar 1 87-- missing asector and in the angle of the missing sector can move the arm l86-. At the other end the hollow shaft -185- carries a star wheel having 10 tips l88; as soon. as the star wheel, when turnin has'reached the position shm at 1 in Fig. 15, a spring catch 1S9 ha ling a ftri'angular tooth acted upon by a spring" 'l90. is compelled by the spring to rapidly advance by half a,

U contini tooth in order to caus the tooth of the catch 189 to full on the bottom of the s two successive teeth. its

(the rotation of the shaft starts in the direction of'the arrow 31, the star and the cyhn of" the switch rennin sti-itional'y and brush ..o;- constantly oi": the ring 162-.,

. v arm --l92- comes in acute och the pivo' -i-J3-, it causes the wheel to rotate and the hollow shuii't --l85---- by of the arm --186 draws the cylinder of the switch raising the spring catch --l89-, ciul the segments of the ring -162 slide underneath the two brus ie's 463 154 up to the moment in which-the wheel arrives in the third position of 14-, in which the tooth 189 is seen on. the p of e tooth. of the star wheel and the brush ---l6+l.- is shown in the moment it reaches the end of one of the sepzimtions of the segments of the ring -12. As soon as the star wheel advances, even by a small quantity, the sprin 190 by withdrawing the snap catch. causes the same to fell in the fourth position id 14, where by the cylinder of the switch is rotated in such a way'thutthe brushes immediately pass on the successive segments and in the meantime the arm 192 touches again the pivot --194t which wus in theifirst positions of Fig 14:; where-otter the process is repeated and it will be se n that the switch stops until the shaft -150- has not performed a rotation for an angle equal to the amplitude of hall. a, tooth and then it rotates together with the shaft for the length of half a tooth, and-lastly snapping out suddenly it turns by another angle equal to the said areplituduein. "the case of the backward rotation, the phases of which are shown in 15, the device in the fourth position of Fig. 14% in. the moment in which this rotation starts, the unn192 pushing against the pivot 19%-- causes the star wheel to rotate in the direction of the arrow F 15, but not the cylinder of the switch, because during this movement the arm 185 which establishes the connection between the two pieces, moves away from one of thebearing 'F-i oi the shear of the collar. When wings are in the first position of Fig 15, K catch --189- is on the point to snap out shaft -150-- is and the urn}. *JSG- rests against the other face of the shear of the collar 181, so that when the snapping out takes place, the star turns and wiil. it turns also the cylinl8 -15J- until it reaches the second position of i 15. l5. ll lien the rotation is continuing in the direction of the arrow 3;, the arm -19'2--- moves freely without moving the star wheel --lSS- until it has not reached the pivot 19-5l-, as shown in the third position of Fig. 15. Only then moves the star wheel and with it the cylinder, because the arm 18(3 presses again against the collar of the cylinder and when. the brush is on the point of meeting the line of separation between two succ ivc segments of the ring -16i---, the snapping out and the sudden rotation of the cylinder takes place. In this way the working by snapping out is obtained in both directions.

The device for transmitting the indication of the distances of the watched ship is quite similar to that described hereinbeiore for transmitting the indications of the direction with the telescope 147-. There is the only dilierencc that by turning the operating crank an indicator of the distances moves as for as to indicate a distance corresponding to that which an attendant reads in e telcmeter and communicates at short intervals of time. The operating crank, either directly, or by mczms of a convenient t nnsmission, causes the shaft 195--, Fig; 1, to rotate by a switch similar to those previously described, and comprising an insulating cylinder -196-- having three continuous rings 197-197--197""- and an interrupted ring 198-- formed by three segments, each of which communicates electrically with one oi the continuous rings. Three brushes -19 9l99-199"- rest against the three continuous rings and two brushes -200-201-- at 180 from each other rest against the not continuous ring.

By means of the brush 202 the current sent from the conductor of the main line to the brush 201. The return, from thebrush 200 to the conductor ---6i"--, takes place through the Wire -208-. From the brushes -,-199-l95 ].99 start three wires 20-t20 Jc 204" which go to the tracing device, as-

ccnd within the arm and end at three brushes -205-205"205- mounted. upon a, bracket '0(5 and which rest against three rings -207207-207- mounted upon the sleeve --183---. The rings -207-207--207 by means 01" the wires 208-208-208 communicate with the windings the armature 2t9'--- 209209"'- of the motor -2l0 which is carried by the alidade -l84z and is similar to the motor 62-. The windings -21l'-2l1- of the armature are excited independently through the wire 2lEZ- ing the position of Fig. 7 the alidade -184lcarries two pole-shoes to reach the ring -2l'7- oeaoov which from the conductor --of the main line goes to the brush 2 13-, which is also carried by' the bracket 206- and rests against the ring -21 l of the sleeve -183. From the ring -2l-l a wire f215 goes to the windings2ll211"- and the return takes place through the wire -21e u l83, the brush -218- and the wire -2l9 which froin'the said brush leads to the conductor -6(' of the main line. The shaft of the motor --2l0 runs within the alidade 184 and forms a long screw 220 which operates the displacement of the movable carriage -22l+-so as-to bring it in a position corresponding to the distance of the watched ship.

. The following device serves for indicatthe ship on the sheet,

electromagnets -222-, the -223- of which act against an armature -224- formed by an armpivoted on the shaft .225-. which runs inside the ali dade l84 for the whole length of same and parallel to the screw 220. The carriage -221- carries an arm +226- with a sleeve -227 slidingalong the rod 225- but turning with it. When the electromagnets .222 are energized and attract their armature ---22#l-', the rod 225.- turns and at the same time causes the arm -226 to turn. The end of this arm"carries a pin which enters the short forked arm of an angle lever, the long arm -229- of which carries at its free end a writing point -230- inked by a rolle 231-. The retation which the lever -2Q 9- performs every time the electromagnets are excited, is such that the point '-230'- on the plane -71 9 of the table of the tracing device "comes, in contact with the drawing sheet.

For the excitation of the electromagnets -222-, Fig. 1, is provided a wire -232- which, starting from the conductor (55 of the main line, ends at a brush 233 of the bracket -206+ which rests against a ring 23l of the sleeve 183 From the ring 234 starts the wire -235- which ends at the feeding terminal of the electromagnets 222--; the return takes place through'the wire -236 which joins to the return wire 216 of the windings of the inductor of the motor -210-, continuing in a common wire 2? 7- as far as 011 the feeding wire --232--238- is inserted a clock which at determined regular intervals of time produces the instantaneous closure of the circuit. The slide -22lcarries a disk 239- and a flat ruler -240-.- both of which are parallel -with the plane of-the tablev and nearly in contact with the drawin sheet without however touching it, in

or or to not hinder the movements of same.

1e ring -21? of the sleeve which The disk 239-, Figs. 16 and 5, is of transparent material, and in the center it is provided with a hole '24Elwhich thus leaves uncovered on the paper sheet the point which corre sponds to the center of the disk. The straight line which joins the center of the disk to the point of contact of the writing roller -80 is parallel with the axis of the alidade 18 l-, so that the straight line, which joins the said two points, represents the direction in which the 'enemys ship is seen. The point -230 strikes against the sheet, exactly in the center of the disk -239, and thus indicates on this direction the point which corresponds to the distance of the shi which is given by the position of the sli e 221. read directly on the ruler -'240 longitudinal. slot -242 meter on :hich runs a pointer carried 'by the slide. {in the disk -239- at equal angnlar, intervals are traced rays 243-, in the draaing from 30 to 30,'and net-work with spia e Inc-shes formed by a system of straight lines 2 l lparallel with' the axis of the alidade, and a system of straight lines -245- perpendicular to the firstones. On the disk are also concentric I having a with a divislon in circles 2 6- all of them at equal distances from each'other, the rays of which aredistancedfrom each other 100 in, As the'last point, indicated by the point -230- is always in the center of the disk, to know the speed of the ship, it is only necessary to see,

.on which circle the previous point is, after having ascertained the interval of time :passes between one point and'the other. The two systems of orthogonaljlines allow to ascertain with the greatest facilityv the lateral displacement and the variation of distance for the same interval of time. The interval of time and the distance corresponding to the difierence between the rays of two successive circles of the disk -239- are regulated in such a way that the speed can be obtained by simply reading without being necessary to make any calculation.

The watch '--238, which operates the point -230-, by means of an eccentric placed upon the shaft- .220 acts also upon a writing point 247 which at the same intervals of time marks .transvcrsal dots on the continuous line traced by the roller 80* which represents the course of the proper ship. If a transparent drawing sheet is znade use of, on which straight lines parallel to the direction of the meridian are traced, and on the table 7$}- with the center in the oint of contactof the roller -80- a divided circle is traced in the same way as the circle +4239, with the same facility and rapidity also the elements of the motion of the proper ship can lee-ascertained. The use of these two circles allows for instance of celluloid,

This distance can be 

